Finding True Love
by Princess M-chan
Summary: Princess Pan is told that she has to marry a prince. To make matters worse, it's Prince Trunks. After one small encounter, they learn to hate each other, but when Gohan locks them in a room together, things get *interesting*......
1. A strange encounter

Disclaimer- I am so unfortunate. I don't even own Dbz. Well; I can always build a time machine, go back in time, kill Akira Toriyama, and remake Dbz... my way. *Evil grin* Uggh, too bad I'm not a genius. :-P

A/N- I took this story down earlier because I noticed that I had a made a LOT of mistakes and I figured that I might as well rewrite it. In my opinion, this is much better written, but that's only my opinion. If you liked this before, read it again. Chances are, you'll probably find it more interesting. I also changed a LOT, so you might want to at least skim the chapter. It's a page longer, too. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. -^.^-

The vast sky stretched over the land, dark gray and very unpleasant. The strong winds blew past with intenseness, bending over trees and propelling random small plants and particles of litter across the ground. As if indicating a powerful, upcoming storm, the air held a musty ambiance, and almost all people took this warning seriously and stayed locked up in their homes. Except for one person. Someone no one would expect. After all, it's not everyday that a princess is allowed outside on her own, especially on a day like this.

Pan searched around frantically. Earlier during her study session, her tutor had given her an assignment and then went off to take a small nap (he had probably bored himself to sleep). Pan took this opportunity to escape and she had spent most of her time exploring the some-what desolate town. Not noticing the dark sky, Pan was panic-stricken when a kind stranger pointed out to her that a storm was coming and suggested that she return home at once. She immediately took his advice and now… now she was lost.

Unexpectedly, the cloud barrier broke and the rain came down, first in soft drizzles, but then it intensified into harsh, giant drops that stung a little as they ruthlessly pounded down on her. The once thirsty and cracked dirt road was gradually becoming softer and muddier beneath her feet and the disgusting muck splashed upon her skirt and shoes, leaving large brown splotches. Although this was the least of her problems.

"This is ridiculous!" Pan screamed out loud to herself. However, this did very little good, because the fierce winds simply carried her words away and she couldn't even hear herself in the first place. As Pan turned around obliviously, she noticed two large lights headed towards her. She quickly scampered off the road and soon, a large carriage was besides her. 

"Hey," A voice greeted her as the large carriage door opened and a bright wave of light washed over Pan. She was pulled into the carriage and her eyes promptly adjusted to the brightness.

"Thanks," she said gratefully to the young man. The young _handsome_ man. Pan watched in interest as he pushed a short strand of lavender hair behind his ear.

"What are you doing here anyways? In case you haven't noticed, it's pretty much flooding out there." Pan said in a voice that sounded more sarcastic than it was meant to be. The man glanced at her with an almost irritated expression.

"I have to go to an important meeting. What were _you _doing out there?" 

"I was…I was just…Oh, it doesn't even matter!" He rolled his eyes and stared at her.

"So where are you heading?"

"The castle," she replied, hoping he wouldn't ask anymore. Her father had always told her to never reveal her identity to _anyone_ and yes, that would include good-looking guys who saved young ladies from the abusive raindrops.

"Are you the princess?" He inquired, noticing her _would-be _fancy dress, if it wasn't wet and muddy.

"Err…no, I'm her maid, umm…Marron? Yah, Marron," she said as an excuse, hoping her best friend wouldn't mind.

"Oh," he said almost disappointedly. She was really beautiful and he sort of hoped that she might have been the princess.

"So, can you tell me anything about the princess? Is she pretty? Is she nice?" Pan looked at the man with disgust.

"Why do you need to know,? You pervert."

"Pervert? I'm not a pervert!"

"Well, then stop asking perverted questions about me…I mean, my friend!" The two growled at each other for a few moments before Pan agitatedly whipped her head towards the window, trying to get a glimpse of the surroundings, but the thick downpour prevented her from seeing much. After a long moment of silence, he made another remark, well…insult, actually.

"Is the princess a loud, snobby person who gets easily insulted like you do?" He asked rudely.

"Grrr…stop insulting the princess! She's a great person, pretty, nice…" Pan continued describing herself (exaggerating a lot) to the point where the man was almost sickened.

"Are you gay or something? You seem to know _too_ much about the princess." He asked, although this wasn't meant to be an insult.

"Of course I'm not! I mean, look at you! You have purple hair and I'm not complaining!"

"There's nothing wrong with my hair! And anyways, it's lavender, not purple!"

"You are so infuriating!" Pan yelled and she opened the door, despite the fact that the carriage was still moving at a rather swift pace.

"I'm leaving and I hope that I _never _see you again!" She jumped out, gracefully landing on her feet. He stuck his head out the door and watched her run off with amazing speed. The powerful wind slammed the door shut, pushing in the man during the process.

"I hope I never see you again either," he muttered, while rubbing his sore head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pan dashed rapidly through the deep mud. She was almost positive of the way home now. Besides, it was better than being stuck in the carriage with that stupid jerk. What was his problem anyways? She breathed a sigh of relief as she observed the distinct outline of the castle. 

She scurried up the steps, praying that no one noticed her absence, although this was very unlikely.

Quietly pushing open the heavy wooden doors, she looked around slyly.

"I made it!" she whispered happily, as she headed for the staircase that led up to her room. No such luck.

"Pan!" The half-worried, half-angry whisper echoed across the giant hallway. Pan turned to find her personal maid and best friend, Marron standing there with her hands on her hips. 

"I was looking for you everywhere. Do you know how upset your father was when he noticed you were missing? In this weather, nonetheless." Pan smirked.

"Don't nag, Marron. It doesn't suit you." She winked mischievously at the upset girl and ran up the staircase. "Come, I don't want to face father just yet. I should let him calm down first." Unfortunately, she was too late. Gohan came bursting in through the doors of his study, frowning disapprovingly. He looked up at his daughter on the staircase and shook his head.

"Pan Son, what am I going to do with you?" He asked, looking angry, but sounding amused.

"I don't know, Daddy," Grinned Pan, walking down the staircase towards her father, "What _are_ you going to do with me?"

"Force you to marry a prince?" Pan started laughing.

"Father!" She stared at him, confused, when she noticed he didn't laugh. "Father?"

He pointed to his study. She obediently followed him into it, leaving behind a very perplexed Marron.

"I wonder what that's all about..."

A/N- So did you like it? I really thought this was much better than the original version. Well, tell me what you think in a review. ^_~ I really love reviews…

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	2. You can't back out of this

A/N- Here is chapter 2. I think I'm going to have fun with this chapter. Hehehe...Anyways, hope you like.

Pan sat in a large velvet chair staring out the window in boredom. She shivered as she watched the lightning strike against the sky, illuminating the darkness. The windowpanes rattled as the thunder roared deafeningly, interrupting the silence. Pan stared back at her father, who was also engrossed in the dreadful storm. Noticing her gaze, his dark eyes met hers and they sat like this for a while. But then Gohan finally offered his explanation.

"Pan, I know…I know you and your mother refuse to believe this, but I am very, very sick. I may look healthy and act healthy, but any day now, any day, I have a good chance of just suddenly… dying."

"Father, please don't say that," Pan begged. She didn't care how obnoxious she was being. As far back as she could remember, her father had been sick, and she remembered her father and mother worrying over what would happen if he died. Her mother often cried, she loved Gohan so much…but throughout all the years, all the worry, Gohan remained healthy as ever, never showing any signs of weakness. And throughout all these years, Pan had been able to snub the idea of her father dying and she continued doing it, too. As far as she was concerned the doctors were just idiots who had no idea what they were talking about. They filled the royal family's head with pessimistic ideas, always saying that Gohan had no chances of being cured, as if they wanted him to breathe his last breath, kick the bucket, go meet his maker, whatever you want to call it. It was all a bunch of lies.

"Pan, it's true. You heard what the doctors said." Pan sneered. How could he just lay back and trust what those non-educated, cynical idiots had to say?

"Anyways, father, what does this have to do with me marrying a prince? I don't know even know any." Gohan sighed and scratched his head like any typical Son would. However, Gohan wasn't confused or embarrassed. No, he was just worried how his feisty daughter would take this bit of news.

  
"You know, all I have ever wanted was to see my baby girl get married to some kind, young gentleman who would take care of her and love her no matter what. Pan, your only eighteen, but I think you're responsible enough and mature enough to handle marriage."

"What are you saying, Father?" Pan asked slowly, not sure if she wanted to understand.

"When I die, your mother will have to rule the kingdom alone, Pan. It's hard to rule the entire kingdom alone. I don't want to put all that responsibility on your mother."

"But you want to put it on me?"

"No, of course not. I wish that there was an easier way to explain this, trust me, I do…"

"Don't even bother! Basically, you want me to marry some freak I don't even know?"

"Panny, no! That's not what I said. Listen to me. You know the kingdom next to ours? Ruled by King Vegeta and Queen Bulma?" Pan nodded impatiently.

"Well, just recently Queen Bulma died." Pan gasped and frowned. She had heard a lot about the queen. She was said to be a kind ruler, making wise decisions and always helping her husband from making negligent decisions. "The king has been deeply upset lately, he even stated that he could not rule the kingdom as well without his wife. He's thinking about handing down the title of king to his son."

"Well, at a meeting, the two of us talked things over and we came to a compromise. You would marry his son and the two kingdoms would merge." Gohan smiled proudly.

"Father! This is not fair! I don't want to marry his son; I don't even know him! How do you know he's kind and nice and all that other junk?"

"As a matter of fact, when I was over at their castle talking things over, I met the boy. He was nice and happy, that is…until Vegeta told him about the plan."

"And how did he feel about all of this?" Pan demanded. Gohan lightly chuckled.

"It was hysterical. He minded it more that you did. Pretty soon, him and his father were arguing like crazy, and it wasn't that bad, until somehow his little sister got involved. Trust me, it was outrageous." Gohan continued to laugh at the memory while Pan remained scowling.

"Why do you find this so funny? He doesn't want this; I don't want this. Why are you making me do this, Father! Did mother even agree to this?"

"Pan, your mother and I thoroughly discussed this and she thinks it's perfectly fine."

"You're kidding, right?! I can't believe this, you're all against me!"

"Pan, I know this may not sound very ideal for a young girl like you, but it's the best thing to do. Who knows? Maybe you and the prince will really hit it off."

"I doubt that…" Pan muttered. 

"Please Panny, for me, for your mother…" She remained silent for a long time, watching the crimson flames leap and quarrel. Overcoming one another, yet at the same time, working together to heat up the huge room.

"Okay…" She agreed softly, knowing that she would come to regret this. Gohan sat up straight, overjoyed by her choice.

"But remember Pan, no backing out of this." Pan nodded her head and sighed in defeat.

"I know, I know…"

"Okay, now you better go take a break and get dressed and stuff. I invited him over today, although he might not make it because of the storm." Pan nodded and lifted herself from the large comfy chair that was now soaking wet due to her drenched clothing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After Pan had showered and changed her clothing, she walked downstairs to sit in the den with her father.

"Are you sure he'll make it?" She asked, apprehensively staring out the window. If possible, the storm had gotten far worse.

"I can't be sure of anything, Pan. I think he'll get here though." Gohan didn't seem to be worried much about the storm, as he was currently absorbed in some sort of novel.

"By the way, what's his name?"

"Err…Trunks Briefs, I believe." 

"Trunks Briefs?" All of a sudden, she started to giggle hysterically.

"Pan, that's not very nice…" Gohan gently reprimanded although he didn't seem much bothered by it.

"I can't help it." More giggles were heard, but then Gohan put down his book as he noticed the prince enter the room.

"Sorry I was late," Trunks apologized. His clothes were soaked and covered with mud and he felt rather uncomfortable. He looked around the room and his eyes fell upon the giggling girl. Trunks almost fell over from astonishment. It was the same girl from earlier, except this girl…this girl had to be an angel. She was white and pink and fragile like a china figurine. Her chocolate brown eyes were large and laughing. Her dark hair that was once so damp and dirty was now braided into a chignon with several strands surrounding her face, like a fine, ivory mist against the light blue chair that her slender body rested in so comfortably. However, when those dark brunette eyes spotted him, a look of recognition flashed over her face. The laughter burned out of her eyes, and her cherry red lips became set into a small frown.

"Father, why is he here?" She asked; her brows knitted together in uncertainty.

"This is the prince, silly. Trunks, meet my daughter Pan." Said Gohan, smiling happily, not noticing the tension in the air.

"What?!" The two explained in unison.

"You told me you were a maid named Marron!" Trunks explained.

"What? You two have met?" Gohan queried.

"Yes, remember earlier when I sneaked out? Well, he let me into his carriage when it was raining." Pan explained.

"Well, that was nice of him. Why did you tell him you were a maid?"

"Well, Father, you have always told me to never reveal my true identity," She said in a mocking, sweet voice.

"Yes, well, this was the prince."

"How was I supposed to know that? Anyways, you were wrong about him being nice and kind. He's a big jerk." Pan said, glaring at Trunks.

"What? I wasn't a jerk! You were the one calling me a pervert!" Trunks exclaimed, wondering what he had done to deserve this.

"Well, it's true! Anyways, you called me gay!" Trunks snickered.

"At least now I know the truth! You're not gay, just very, very conceited!"

"SHUT UP!" Pan leaped from her chair, arms outstretched, her hands aiming for Trunks's neck. Fortunately, Gohan grabbed her around the waist in time, trying to stop her from causing any damage. Trying the keyword.

"FATHER! Let go!" Pan thrashed around angrily as Trunks childishly smirked and made faces at her.

"You two stop it!" Gohan yelled.

Trunks stopped making strange faces, but Pan continued struggling silently. Gohan sighed and picked up his daughter, pretty much dropping her on the couch while Trunks snickered to himself. This was too good. 

After Pan settled down, Gohan sat down in his chair and looked back and forth at the two kids. Pan was silently mouthing 'I hate you ', while Trunks rolled his eyes repeatedly.

"Well, I didn't think this would happen." He said and shook his head. "I thought you too would get along well."

"Yeah right," Pan snorted, but then she made her voice sweet and innocent and looked up at her father with those sad puppy dog eyes. Trunks almost melted right there. She was so cute when she wasn't angry. So why did she have to be so angry with him?

"Daddy, you can't make me marry him. It's obvious we hate each other. Just send him home and I'll marry some other prince." Pan gave him a sweet smile. Gohan put his head in his hands and groaned.

"No, you don't understand. Vegeta and I already signed a contract and everything. We were almost certain the two of you would get along well. You remember when I told you that you can't back out of this? Well, it's true… you can't." Pan's smile quickly became a scowl, then a frown, and Trunks was surprised to see her lip quiver a bit. Did she really hate him this much?

Pan rose from the chair and quickly ran off to her room. Gohan shook his head, trying to remember why he had ever agreed to this. Then again, if he would of known that it would upset Pan this much… Gohan looked over and noticed Trunks looking at him curiously.

"It's getting late. You can stay here for the night if you want. You'll find everything you'll need in the guestroom. I'm sure one of the servants will take you there." Gohan watched Trunks leave the room. 

"Don't worry, I'll make everything better…"

A/N- Wow, that was really fun to type! Hehe…Sorry, I would have finished this earlier, but my mom kept interrupting me. Just to let you know I skipped dinner to type this, and food is an important part of my life so you have to love me now. Lol. J/K. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. Hmm…I wonder how Gohan's going to make everything better. Well, actually I already know, but…Okay, thanks to chibigoten124/SSJ3MysticPan, eve, Hanamaru825, Jami-chan, Luna star, Kutie-Pan, and juunanagou4ever for the encouraging reviews! ^_^ 


	3. Locked in!

A/N- Sorry for the looooooooooooong wait, I had MAJOR writer's block and I almost took this story down, again. But thanks to your encouraging (and angry, lol) reviews, I decided to continue and try to make it okay. Anyways, thanks! And I hope you wonderful people enjoy this chapter! ^_^

Pan awoke in alarm as she felt herself being gently set down onto to a cold, wooden floor. A heavy quilt was thrown over her small frame and she squinted dazedly through the darkness.

"What's going on?" She asked. A large figure leaned over her and smoothed her hair soothingly.

"It's okay, Panny. Just sleep," calmed a deep voice that she quickly recognized as her father's. "Everything's under control, so you can just relax now." Pan simply nodded, not exactly comprehending what he was trying to affirm, but sleep rapidly claimed her body as she dropped her head onto her folded arms, a pathetic excuse for her forgotten pillow. Perhaps, if she wasn't so tired, she may have noticed the light snoring, indicating that she was not the only one in the room…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The light streamed through the tiny window, washing Pan's body with a comforting warmth that her blanket failed to provide. She stretched her arms which were incredibly numb, most likely from the weight of her head during the night. The room was vaguely empty, with the exception of a torn up sofa, an old chest, a dust-covered rocking chair, and other old stuff that you would most likely find in an attic or loft. Pan couldn't even remember this room ever existing.

Pushing herself off the ground she walked over to the door, eager to get out the freaky room. Unfortunately….

"IT'S LOCKED!!!" Pan banged on the door furiously. "Dad! Let me out!" On the other side of the room, a head popped out of a big bundle of blankets, unknown to the princess.

"Keep it down, would ya?" Pan turned around and shrieked.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" 

"Well, this is the guestroom, so what are _you_ doing in _my_ room?" Trunks said while rolling over. Not paying attention, he bumped into a large chest and a large coating of dust fell upon his face. He quickly shot up from his substitute bed. 

"Wait, this _isn't_ my room…" 

"No kidding, mastermind," Pan retorted. Trunks glared and Pan paced around the room, searching for an explanation.

"Wait, I found a note," she heard Trunks say. Whirling around, she snatched the letter from Trunks and read out loud furiously.

"Dear Panny, I know you and Trunks aren't very fond of each other." She stopped as Trunks snorted and gave him an angry look before continuing the story. "I know you don't want to be married, but you don't have a choice. Please do this for me, for your mother, for Bulma and Vegeta… As much as you will hate me for this, I have decided to lock you up in this room for a few days. The longer it takes you to get along, the longer you will be stuck in there. Good luck and remember, I will be checking on you every now and then. Your loving father, Gohan."

"Loving father!" Pan cried, ripping the paper in half and throwing it down. "This is ridiculous!"

"Shut up, I don't like this idea, but I'm not complaining." Trunks muttered.

"You're complaining now," she pointed out; she had a sudden urge to argue.

"You're impossible. You heard your father, Pan. He said the longer we argue, the longer we are stuck in here. Yet you continue to quarrel with me."

"Well, you're so….so aggravating. Maybe...maybe we should just stay away from each other. If we're not by each other, we can't argue." Pan stated in a clever tone. 

"Fine with me," Trunks agreed.

"Well, then, I get the side with the window, you can get the side by the door," She quickly decided. Trunks, knowing better than to argue, walked over to the door and slid down besides it. Pan climbed onto an old dusty couch and sat down, tightly hugging her knees and wearing an almost sad expression. But of course, that didn't make sense. Why would Pan be sad? Trunks thoughtlessly shrugged it off, it was none of his concern, after all.

Instead, he thought about home. Although he hated to sound like some pathetic toddler, he did want to go back. He missed his grumpy father and whiny sister. Most of all, he missed his mother. The dim-witted doctors didn't even know what was wrong with her. They simply threw together a long string of intelligent words and left it at that. It was simply ridiculous. 

Ever since Bulma had died, he started having attitude problems. Trunks would unintentionally say rude things and argue with his family 24/7. Which may be why this young girl hated him so. In a way, it was his fault that they could not get along. She was probably a nice girl, but he would never get to find out because it was too late. She hated him and Trunks couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for her…But only a little.

A/N- Sorry it's such a short chapter. I just wanted to hurry up and get this out before everyone thought that I was dead, lol. Anyway, sorry for the delay. Cookies for all you patient people. ^_^


	4. An improvement

"Don't…leave…me…Don't…go…" 

Pan sat up in fright, wondering whom that voice belonged to and why that person was even in her room. But then she glumly remembered that the voice belonged to Trunks and that this wasn't her room. Arching her back, she stretched her arms and yawned widely. It was still dark and she could just barely see Trunks's silhouette. After much conflict, the two had agreed that they would remain on their own sides, but Pan's curiosity steadily escalated and before she knew it, she was sitting on the cold floor, staring at Trunks.

"Don't go…" He whispered again in much anguish. Trunks's face was damp and he turned about restlessly in the pile of blankets as though he was trapped. In any other case, this would have been dreadfully funny, but the tormented look on his face was enough to soften anyone's heart. Even Pan's. And by now everyone knew that Pan was incredibly stubborn, especially Trunks…

Bulma had died, she remembered her father saying. To lose your mother…how horrible. And yet, Pan didn't give this a second thought and she continued to ridicule and pester the poor boy. She frowned regretfully, but of course, she was never one to blame herself. 

'He started it,' Pan argued. 'He should have known better than to get me all riled up like that.' Satisfied with her answer, she got up and was about to return to the couch when she heard a whimper. A _whimper_. So pathetic and sad and helpless. It was like when you saw a puppy dog by the streets, tired and hungry and unwanted. And it cries to you, begging for a little food, maybe a warm bath or a place to sleep. It whimpers for help and you just want to go and hug it. 

This was exactly how Pan felt now. Except it wasn't a puppy that needed her help, it was Trunks. Sighing deeply, knowing very well what a great burden she was about to take, she solemnly promised to be nicer to him. If only a little. After all, everyone deserved kindness. And this included playful pets and overconfident princes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A soft knock on the door disrupted the princess of her pondering and she got up from the floor. Pan had been up now for quite a while, thinking about anything that came to mind. After the night's occurrence, she found that she was not able to return to sleep.

Brushing back her tousled hair, she walked to the door and pressed her ear against it.

"Who's there?"

"Hi, Pan. It's me. Open the door." She frowned as she heard her father's cheerful voice.

"I _can't_ open the door, because _someone_ locked it," Pan muttered.

"Oh, yeah…Heh, heh…" She rolled her eyes as her father laughed sheepishly and she could just imagine him, standing in front of the door with a single hand rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

She heard the gentle click of the key being turned in the lock and she stepped aside from the door, enabling her father to enter. Gohan walked in, accompanied by a breakfast tray and a lively smile. He leaned over to peck his daughter on the cheek and he placed the tray on an old table that looked as if it might collapse with the mere weight of it.

"So, how did you sleep?" He asked. Then taking in his daughter's dust-covered hair, disheveled clothing, and angry expression, he mentally kicked himself.

"Great, just great. After all, who doesn't love sleeping on a pile of dust and tattered material? Oh, and the hard springs that dig into your back are _such_ a bonus," Pan said scornfully. Gohan sighed and delicately brushed some filth from Pan's raven, at the moment gray, hair.

"I'm sorry, Pan."

"Everything's under control now," Pan mimicked her father's earlier words.

"Pan."

"I'm sorry, Daddy, but…but this isn't how I imagine it." Pan complained pitiably.

"I know, Pan. I know," Gohan briefly hugged his daughter and turned towards the door. "Well, I just came to drop off some breakfast. Good luck, Pan, I know you can do it." Pan listened to her father lock the door. Clicking her tongue loudly, she crossed her arms and looked at the so-called 'breakfast' with great disapproval. Buttered toast? She loved her dad and all, but sometimes…

"You're on my side." Pan heard. Whirling around, she glared at Trunks whose complaint was muffled by an old pillow that concealed his face. Her mouth opened wide as she thought of the perfect comeback, but then she remorsefully recalled her promise. Damn promise…

"I had to open the door for my dad; he brought us breakfast." It felt weird being nice to Trunks. Although Pan was a very argumentative person, she was never this cross with someone before. And then just replacing her earlier attitude and suddenly being nice, it felt very strange indeed.

Trunks lowered the pillow from his face and recklessly threw it aside, just barely missing Pan. He scratched his head and threw aside his blankets also; this time involuntarily _hitting_ Pan, who had the sudden urge to slap him.

"Breakfast?" He asked groggily. 

"Yes…breakfast," replied Pan with gritted teeth. She was not very fond of being hit with things, especially, dirty things. Growling softly, she once again thought of the promise. Why did she have to be such a nice person?

Trunks had staggered sleepily to the table, pulling over a rocking chair to sit on. Pan held her breath, waiting for the creaking, moaning piece of furniture to collapse under his burden, but it remained steady. Shrugging, she joined Trunks at the table just in case he forgot to save her a slice. Pan did _not_ doubt that he would.

"You were talking in your sleep last night," Pan pointed out with no intention of insulting.

"Yeah, I was having a dream," he replied, shoving another slice of toast into the bottomless pit that he so shamelessly called a stomach.

"A nightmare apparently," Pan disagreed. _Kindly_ disagreed, of course.

"What makes you think that?"

"Nothing. Except for the sweating, terrified muttering, and twisting around."

"Oh," Trunks muttered with an uneasy air. He was undeniably distressed, but Pan was thrilled. They were actually having a conversation! A strange and short conversation, but they were actually being nice to each other. Pan felt like laughing. Now, if they could keep this up for at least a day or two, they would be out of here in no time! Smiling broadly, she offered another slice of bread to the rather surprised Trunks. Well, there was a huge, abrupt transformation in her manner so she couldn't really blame him. 

"Do you miss your mother a lot?" Pan asked softly, resting her chin on her folded hands, her elbows resting on the table, adding extra weight to the weak stand.

"Yeah, a lot," Trunks replied with sad eyes. "And she wouldn't have died if it weren't for those blasted doctors!" A fierce, almost frightening look, replaced his previous melancholy and it was an expression that even _she_ hadn't yet earned to acquire. 

Pan watched his face in interest; she knew how he felt. The lying doctors, the confused family, all the worried and stressful days…she'd been there, experiencing the pain that only the predicted death of a loved one could bring.

"I kind of know how you feel…" Pan admitted. "You see, my father, well…ever since I was younger the doctors were always telling us that he would die. They didn't even know why! They just said he would. And we were all so worried, but he never did. So a few years after their first assumption, I learned to ignore them and I still do." Her face had a profound expression upon it as she tried to explain it exactly how she felt it. Trunks, arms crossed, had long since worn a vacant look so she had much trouble guessing if he was really interested or not. But nonetheless, she continued.

"The thing that worried me the most is…my father believes them. He believes that he will really die, and…And I think that this will affect his health more than anything else and it scares me," She acknowledged.

Trunks couldn't believe it. What had happened? This girl, so aggressive, so feisty, who earlier persisted to agitate him was actually being nice to him, admitting her fear and understanding his. He didn't fathom what had caused such a sudden change, but he greatly appreciated it and he couldn't lie…For the very first time, since he had come to the palace, he almost, _almost_, felt comfortable.

A/N- Another short chapter I know, but…it's longer than the last. Hehe…Well, since I'm so busy, I'm going to try to get more short chapters out. As a reader, I know how annoying it can get, but I also know that the thing I love most is when the author updates at least every 2 days. If I write short chapters, it will be much easier to do so, so sorry for any inconveniences. ^_^ Ok, now for the fun part… Thanking the reviewers!!! Wow, I love you guys, I really never expected this story to do so well! Hehe…Thanks to chibigoten124/SSJ3MysticPan, eve, Hanamaru825, Jami-chan, Luna star, Kutie-Pan, juunanagou4ever, pan+marron= PARRON, Mkb14, B-chan and Syaoran's angel, Hikaru, saiyan moon fire, xoxodarkangels, sportzgirl22, Cat, Trunksluva!, Witchyprincess, Granny Adams, sayian princess, hotaru420, Murph4303, alex, GJ, kaaira, Trunk's girly girl, Chibi-Goten's-Gurl, Azn-Dreamer, Triple creasent, Bunny, jt, and BlueSilk for reviewing. If I forgot anyone, spelled anyone's pen name wrong, or if I repeated anyone's pen name, sorry, ^_^;

Also, I'm starting a mailing list ^_^. I hope this will be easier for all of you. Anyways, just tell me in a review and _try_ to spell your email address right, lol. Okay, well, hope you enjoyed this chapter. ^_^


	5. Trunks's NotSoGood Idea

"Trunks, you're crazy!" Pan yelled desperately, but she could no longer restrain her amusement and collapsed to the floor in a giggling fit. When Pan had awoken the next morning, she had found Trunks dressed in a long apron with a dusty handkerchief on his little pur- _lavender_ head. A cocky grin and a ratty old broom had completed this eccentric outfit.

"What are you doing?" She asked in shock after her laughter had subsided. Trunks scowled at her horror and said smugly, "Today, we're going to clean this place up."

"Eh? Why?"

"What do you mean why? Have you looked around? This place is filthy!" He ignored Pan's terrified expression and continued. "There's a small sink behind the rocking chair. Find a bucket or something we can use to hold all the water. Oh, and a cloth for cleaning the floors."

"W-What? You're kidding right? This is weird." Pan blurted out.

"I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of having dust all over my body, clothes, and hair. If you're not going to help me, I'll just do it myself, but it would probably impress your dad if we help clean this place up, _together_."

Pan silently considered this. It was true. If Gohan found the two of them helping each other out, they would have a better chance of getting out. Besides, there was nothing else to do. 

"Alright, I'm in." She pushed up her sleeves in two swift movements and walked past Trunks.

"Good," He replied firmly.

"Aha!" Pan grabbed a large bucket and ran over to the sink filling it with the slightly brownish water.

"You know what? This wasn't such a bad idea. There's only one problem." Trunks cocked an eyebrow and folded his arms. 

"Oh? What's that?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. That outfit is bugging me; I refuse to help you until you take off those stupid clothes."

Trunks laughed and nodded. "Okay, fine. But only because you asked so _nicely_," He teased while pulling off the ridiculous clothing. She giggled and splashed some water on him.

"Hey!" He complained, staring at his now-soaked arm.

"What?" Pan asked with innocent eyes. "I was just trying to make you clean."

"I'm sure…" Trunks muttered. "Anyway, bring the bucket down here." He patted the floor next to him.

"Okay," She heaved the bucket and dropped it down next to him, handing him a large cloth he could use for the job. Grabbing Trunks's discarded handkerchief for herself, she dunked it into the bucket, squealing as she felt the freezing water on her arms.

"This is stupid so it better get us out of here…." Pan complained

Trunks gave her an admonishing look. "Don't be so pessimistic." She simply rolled her eyes and pulled the towel out of the bucket, staring at it blankly. 

"Hey, Trunks?"

"Yeah?" He replied, staring at his own towel with confusion.

"What exactly are we supposed to do?"

"Well…" Picking up the towel and looking at it carefully, he shrugged. "I have no earthly idea…"

"What?! This was your idea!"

"Yea, but being a prince and all, I've never had to clean anything besides myself."

"Same here," Pan added glumly. "But it can't be that hard. Okay, so when you take a bath, you cover your whole body with water, right?"

"Yeah, isn't that what's your supposed to do?" Trunks asked with bewilderment.

"Well, that's what I've always done and I don't smell bad so I guess it works."

"Speak for yourself," Trunks muttered, waving a hand in front of his nose. Pan gave him an angry glare, but continued on with her explanation.

"_Anyway,_ I guess we just have to cover everything with water and scrub it with soap."

"Yea, that sounds good. Too bad we don't have any soap," Trunks stated sarcastically.

"Ok, fine, we don't need it. Jeez…" Pan sighed. It was getting harder and harder to be nice to this guy.

"…So you say we cover everything with water?" 

"Yea, and then we-" But Pan was suddenly cut off as freezing cold water splashed all over her. Trunks stood above her holding the empty bucket of water with a huge smirk on his face.

"What's the next step?" He asked angelically, his eyes wide and innocent.

"…Trunks…." Pan said slowly, her fists clenched tightly in anger. "You will DIE for that!" Hopping to her feet, she held the empty bucket above her head and heaved it at Trunks. Well, she tried to be nice to him. It was just impossible. So she had a short fuse. It wasn't her fault that he kept crossing the line.

Trunks, unfortunately, managed to catch the bucket and was not harmed. And to make matters worse, he wore a huge, teasing grin on his face.

"Why are you so mad, Pan? We were going to clean up and what's the point of a clean room if you keep stinking it up?" He tossed the bucket back at her and watched with entertainment as she caught it and growled angrily.

"Ok, fine then! Two can play at that game!" Rushing over to the sink, she impatiently filled it with water and turned to him with a deadly smirk on her face. "Prepare to die!" 

She chased him across the room, splashing water onto everything in site and finally with an extra surge of fury, she caught him by the neck of his shirt, pouring the water all down his back. Pan watched in satisfaction as he abruptly stopped in his path, experiencing the consequences of the cold water. 

"Damn it!" He shouted out as he gave her a killer glare. She laughed at his sodden appearance and was startled when the bucket was yanked out of her hands. He raced over to the sink with Pan right behind him. She was _not _going to let him have the contentment of drenching her again. Pulling on his arm as he let tons of water flow into the bucket, Pan screamed into his ear while he struggled to get her off.

"Stop yelling!" He demanded. Pan angrily kicked his ankle, smiling delightfully as he slipped on the wet floor, and grabbed the bucket. But the victory was short-lived and Trunks quickly made it back to his feet, as the two of them grabbed onto either sides of the bucket, struggling for control. 

All of a sudden, the door was flung open by an extremely happy Gohan who held a tray of sandwiches in his hands. "Hi, kids! I brought up some lunch!"

The fighting duo, shocked by Gohan's unexpected arrival, fell over as both of their hands lost control of the bucket. All three of them watched in horror as the bucket went flying, flying, and boom! Crashed right on poor Gohan's head.

"Geh! F-father? Are…you okay?" Pan inquired with alarm. Gohan quietly pulled the bucket off his head and stared at them angrily. Dropping the pail, he left the room, leaving behind the shocked twosome.

"Oh…my gosh…Maybe this wasn't such a great idea."

Trunks shrugged. "Why not? Look at the bright side. Everything's sparkling clean. And as soon as it dries, it'll look spotless…Including your father," He added as an afterthought. As he heard Pan explode into a fit of wild laughter, he started smiling himself. Pretty soon the two of them were rolling on the floor laughing, holding their aching sides.

`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`

"Maybe I should let them out…" Gohan murmured quietly to himself while wringing his soaked shirt. "They're becoming…crazy!" But as he walked towards the door, he smiled. 

"They're laughing together…probably at me, but…Anyway, at least they're getting along better." Opening the door, he grimaced as he noticed the completely wet room.

"Okay, kids. I have some good news. Since I never want this to happen again, I will let you out. I think that ya'll are getting along a little better than before."

"Yay!" Pan cheered. "But now what?"

"Now…we make plans for the wedding…"

A/N- *Blinks* Wow…I haven't updated for a really, really, really long time…But here's Chapter 5, finally. Thank God I have a week off for spring break or else this may have never been continued. I kind of forgot about this story since I've been concentrating more on Forbidden Love, but that'll be over in a chapter or two so I'll have tons of time to devote to this story. ^_^ Anyway, I apologize for the really long wait. Cookies to everyone who reviewed Chapter 4 and for everyone who reviews this chapter. Extra cookies to those who don't yell at me or hurt me. ^_^;


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